LAWT 07-05-2012

W E E K E N D E R

Vol. XXX, No. 1291

www.lawattstimes.com

Thursday, July 5, 2012

L.A. Watts Times

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Thursday, July 5, 2012

July 5 - 11

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RIES ~ Exhilaration is high and your mental abilities are amazing.

Use your intuition to brainstorm your way to a highly creative idea that could change the way you make your living.

Soul Affirmation: I give thanks for the chance to give.

AURUS ~ What you say and what you do are in harmony this week.

The importance of your idea(s) comes through very clearly to others. They can see that you walk what you talk.

Communicate your ideas through your values. Soul Affirmation: I give thanks for the goodness in people.

EMINI ~ If you feel as if the vibes this week are mixed at best, make up your mind to only receive the positive ones. Tune the transmitter in your soul to life and give your spiritual a workout.

You are in charge of who you are. Soul Affirmation: I see myself as a finisher rather than a starter this week.

ANCER ~ A benefit arrives, and there’s good reason to celebrate.

Claim your blessing and do the happy dance! Loving, supportive friends surround you, and family members are well behaved. Enjoy! Soul Affirmation: I speak my mind knowing that truth is my best defense this week.

EO ~ Look forward to some pleasant news. There is every possibility for a renewed love affair or a refreshing new romantic interest. Free yourself from the past and make a fresh start. Soul Affirmation: I see myself as a finisher rather than a starter this week.

IRGO ~ Your money instincts are itchy! Go ahead and scratch, because you’ve got the golden touch this week. Promise yourself that you’ll take at least one small step toward your dreams each day this week. You go!

Soul Affirmation: I seek connection with the best that is in me.

IBRA ~ A loved one may feel a bit neglected as you pursue your material dreams with vigor this week. Time set aside for this person after you’ve made some gains will prove to be extra sweet.

Try not to push a mate’s understanding nature too far, though. Soul Affirmation: My needs will be met if I just ask.

CORPIO ~ Stay open-minded this week and you’ll actually feel the good vibrations! Co-workers will wonder at the smile on your face, but let it be your secret for now. Your smile itself will make others smile about their own lives! Soul Affirmation: I smile as I think about faraway places.

AGITTARIUS ~ Big appetites this week!

Indulge at least one of your passions and then get back to work. You are making incredible strides toward your dream by just reminding yourself of it. Drive carefully and pay attention to brake lights. Soul Affirmation: Smooth communications is the key to my success this week.

APRICORN ~ Relax a bit and review your “things to do” list”.

Move methodically, and check off each item as you complete them. You’ll be surprised by the progress you are making. Spend the afternoon with family, and friends. Soul Affirmation: This week family is the source of my joy.

QUARIUS ~ Your best self is on parade this week, and wow! You look good! Co-workers will beat a path to your cubicle, so be prepared to turn chatterboxes away gently. Give your honey a phone call or send a loving email. Soul Affirmation: I open myself up to the vibrations of love.

ISCES ~ This week’s a good week to approach that person you’ve been wondering about. While you’ve been working very hard, you need to play, too.

Good playmates make work seem more rewarding to you. Soul Affirmation: I master life by mastering myself.

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CIRCULATION AUDITED BY CIRCULATION VERIFICATION COUNCIL

The African Methodist Episcopal Church today seeks to set the record straight on a statement that is misinformation at best and a lie at worst. A July 1, 2012 story posted on the “Charisma News” website and Facebook page reported that the AME Church was threatening to withdraw support from President Barack Obama because of his stance on same sex marriage and that the AME Church was partnering with an organization called The Coalition of African American Pastors.

According to Bishop Samuel L. Green, Sr., President of the AME Church Council of Bishops, “As a denomination, we do not endorse candidates for any political office. As such, we cannot ‘withdraw’ support from President Obama because we cannot endorse any candidate for political office and did not endorse the President. No organization has been authorized to speak for the AME Church.” Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry, Chairperson of the AME Church’s Commission on Social Action said, “Contrary to the report, neither the AME Church nor its leadership is involved with or partnering with the Coalition of AfricanAmerican Pastors.”

We also condemn those who attached the good name of the African Methodist Episcopal Church to an effort to sow discord and misinforma-

tion. The story in Charisma News bore a sad and striking resemblance to other stories that either stretch or totally abandon the truth in an effort to divide and conquer the African American community.

As a denomination born in the struggle for equality, we condemn any effort to discourage voters or to lead voters astray through misinformation.

The AME Church Social Action Commission will instead continue to encourage all citizens, and especially those touched by our churches, to register and exercise their right to vote.

“We call upon Charisma News and those who furnished this erroneous story to their website to immediately rescind the story. Should that not be done, we will immediately seek possible remedies to correct the situation,” said Bishop T. Larry Kirkland, Sr., President of the General Board of the AME Church.

In the Episcopal Address to the worldwide church, the Bishops of the Church said, “We call upon each of our congregants to become registered and vote on election day...and urge all of our churches to conduct voter registration drives”. Bishop John R. Bryant, Senior Bishop of the AME Church, said, “We shall continue to advocate for the well being of all humankind, so that they can freely hear the liberating Gospel of Jesus the Christ.”

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HOROSCOPES

12 BlackFacts.com July 5, 1975 Arthur Ashe won the men’s single championship at Wimbeldon, defeating Jimmy Connors.

July 6, 2002 Serena Williams triumphs over her sister Venus to win the Wimbeldon Women’s singles competition.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

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We saved 20 percent on our gas bill.

You or someone you know may qualify for a 20 percent discount with the CARE program. Be sure to check your July gas bill for an application or visit socalgas.com (search “CARE”).

HOW TO QUALIFY FOR THE CARE DISCOUNT PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS:

MAXIMUM HOUSEHOLD INCOME:

If you or another person in your household receives benefits from any of the following programs:

(effective June 1, 2012 to May 31, 2013)

Medi-Cal/Medicaid Healthy Families Categories A & B Women, Infants, & Children (WIC) CalWORKs (TANF) or Tribal TANF Head Start Income Eligible - Tribal Only Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance (BIA GA) CalFresh/SNAP (Food Stamps) National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Number of Persons Total Annual in Household Income* 1 $22,340 2 $30,260 3 $38,180 4 $46,100 5 $54,020 6 $61,940 7 $69,860 8 $77,780 For each additional household member, add $7,920 * Includes current household income from all sources before deductions.

CONDITIONS FOR PARTICIPATION 1) The gas bill must be in your name and the address must be your primary address. 2) You may not be claimed as a dependent on another person’s income tax return other than your spouse’s. 3) You will need to recertify your application when requested. 4) You are required to notify SoCalGas within 30 days if you no longer qualify. 5) You may be asked to verify your eligibility for CARE.

© 2012 Southern California Gas Company. Trademarks are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. Some materials used under license, with all rights reserved by licensor.

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Thursday, July 5, 2012

Rodney King remembered Justice won’t at funeral as forgiving man prosecute Holder for contempt

AP Photo/Grant Hindsley

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The Rev. Al Sharpton, foreground right, speaks to the reporters before the public memorial service for Rodney King at Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles on Saturday, June 30, 2012. King passed away earlier this month at 47. Behind Sharpton are King’s daughters, Tristian King, and Laura Dene King.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rodney King was remembered in Los Angeles on Saturday as a forgiving man who bore the scars of his infamous beating with dignity.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, who delivered the eulogy at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, said before the funeral that King never showed bitterness to the officers who beat him.

“People should not be judged by the mistakes that they make, but by how they rise above them,” Sharpton said outside the Hall of Freedom at the sprawling cemetery grounds. “Rodney had risen above his mistakes. He never mocked anyone — not the police, not the justice system, not anyone.”

“He became a symbol of forgiveness,” Sharpton said.

The funeral came nearly two weeks after King was found dead at the bottom of the swimming pool at his Rialto, Calif. home on June 17. He was 47.

Family members held a private service early in the day, followed by a public memorial and burial. Mourners signed a guest book and surveyed newspaper clippings from the days when King dominated headlines in 1991 and 1992. A large photograph of a smiling King was set on an easel.

Daughter Laura Dene King, 28, said she was proud to have had her father in her life for as long as she did, especially considering she almost lost him when she was six years old.

“I will remember his smile, his unconditional love,” she said.

Several donors helped pay for the funeral, the reception afterwards, and other arrangements. Television producer Anthony Zuiker donated $10,000, and said he was at the funeral to show support for King’s family.

“We lost a symbol, but they lost a loved one,” said Zuiker, creator of the CSI: series.

Lawrence Spagnola, who coauthored King’s 2012 book “The Riot Within: My Journey from Rebellion to Redemption,” sat with family members at both services.

The family can be proud of the “amazing degree of grace and wisdom” with which King carried himself after being violently thrust into the media spotlight, Spagnola said.

King’s death is being treated as an accidental drowning but authorities are awaiting autopsy results to determine the official cause of death.

He became famous after his beating by Los Angeles police in 1991 was captured on videotape and broadcast worldwide, as were photos of his bloodied and bruised face.

The images of the grainy video became a national symbol of police brutality. It was played over and over for the following year, inflaming racial tensions across the country.

More than a year later, four officers charged with felony assault in the beating were acquitted by a jury with no black members. The verdict sparked one of the most costly and deadly race riots in U.S. history.

During the unrest, which left more than 50 people dead and caused more than $1 billion in property damage, King famously pleaded for peace by asking, “Can we all get along?”

See RODNEY KING, page 10

AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

In this June 12, 2012 file photo, Attorney General Eric Holder testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. In email exchanges with subordinates in February and March 2011, Attorney General Eric Holder and the department’s second-highest official expressed growing concern that something might have gone wrong in a federal gun-smuggling probe called Operation Fast and Furious.

BY LARRY MARGASAK AND PETE YOST | ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department declared Friday that Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision to withhold information about a bungled gun-tracking operation from Congress does not constitute a crime and he won’t be prosecuted for contempt of Congress.

The House voted Thursday afternoon to find Holder in criminal and civil contempt for refusing to turn over the documents. President Barack Obama invoked his executive privilege authority and ordered Holder not to turn over materials about executive branch deliberations and internal recommendations.

In a letter to House Speaker John Boehner, the department said that it will not bring the congressional contempt citation against Holder to a federal grand jury and that it will take no other action to prosecute the attorney general. Dated Thursday, the letter was released Friday.

Deputy Attorney General James Cole said the decision is in line with long-standing Justice Department practice across administrations of both political parties.

“We will not prosecute an executive branch official under the contempt of Congress statute for withholding subpoenaed documents pursuant to a presidential assertion of executive privilege,” Cole wrote.

In its letter, the department relied

in large part on a Justice Department legal opinion crafted during Republican Ronald Reagan’s presidency.

Frederick Hill, the spokesman for Rep. Darrell Issa, said it is regrettable that “the political leadership of the Justice Department” is taking that position. Issa, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee chairman, is leading the effort to get the material related to Operation Fast and Furious.

Although the House voted Thursday to find Holder in criminal and civil contempt, Republicans probably are still a long way from obtaining documents they want for their inquiry into Operation Fast and Furious, a flawed gun-tracking investigation focused on Phoenix-area gun shops by Justice's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The criminal path is now closed and the civil route through the courts would not be resolved anytime soon.

“This is pure politics,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said.

“Remarkably the chairman of the committee involved here has asserted that he has no evidence that the attorney general knew of Operation Fast and Furious or did anything but take the right action when he learned of it.

“No evidence, so if you have no evidence as he has stated now about the White House and the attorney general, what else could this be but politics?”

More than 100 Democrats See ERIC HOLDER, page 15

Thursday, July 5, 2012

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California bullet train up for contentious vote

BY JUDY LIN | ASSOCIATED PRESS

AP Photo/Ben Margot

Attorney General Kamala D. Harris SACRAMENTO — Attorney General Kamala D. Harris announced the California Homeowner Bill of Rights is one step closer to becoming law after key provisions passed the California Legislature today. The bills, which provide first of their kind protections for homeowners and reforms to the mortgage and foreclosure process, will now be sent to the desk of Governor Jerry Brown for consideration. The bills were approved 53 to 25 in the Assembly and 25 to 13 in the Senate.

“Passing these key elements of

Homeowner Bill of Rights represents a significant step forward for struggling homeowners,” said Attorney General Harris. “These common-sense reforms will require banks to treat California homeowners more fairly and bring more transparency and accountability to their practices in our state.

Responsible homeowners will have a better shot to keep their homes.”

“Californians will finally have a fighting chance to keep their homes, as this measure brings fairness to the loan modification and foreclosure process,” See HOMEOWNERS BILL, page 14

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Jerry Brown’s ambitious plan to start building the nation’s first dedicated high-speed rail line is set for a pivotal vote by the Legislature this week with some state lawmakers still skeptical about spending billions in the Central Valley.

The Democratic governor is pushing lawmakers to authorize $2.7 billion in voter-approved state bonds for construction on the first 130-mile stretch of high-speed rail from Madera to Bakersfield. Brown has made the massive infrastructure project one of his priorities for the year and says the state has to act fast in order to capture billions of dollars in additional federal support.

“Suck it in,” Brown told an audience gathered last month for the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge.

“We got to build, we got to do it right.”

While Democratic leaders who control both houses of the Legislature support the bullet train, they concede that a legislative vote to authorize state bonds faces a tight vote, particularly in the Senate. Because Republicans oppose the project, at least 21 Democratic senators are needed to pass legislation on a simple majority vote. The project also faces GOP opposition in Congress.

“We’ll see where it goes,” Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento said last week.

Critics of high-speed rail say it's not clear where most of the construction funding will come from. They call the project too expensive and unnecessary.

Recent polls show tepid support for a bullet train even though California voters authorized a total of $9 billion in what was intended to be the first round of bond financing back in 2008.

Person Of The Week | Peniece LeGall SESAC promotes Peniece LeGall to Director, Writer/Publisher Relations SESAC, the nation’s most progressive performing rights organization, announces the promotion of Peniece LeGall to the position of Director, Writer/Publisher Relations. LeGall, who will head SESAC’s Atlanta office, will be responsible for recruiting new and established songwriters and publishers in all musical genres as well as maintaining relationships with current affiliates. LeGall was most recently SESAC’s Coordinator for the Atlanta office, where she provided support for all SESAC Atlanta’s special events including “Tempo Tuesdays,” the educational lecture series featuring speakers from various aspects of business.

“Peniece LeGall has been an integral part of the success of SESAC’s Atlanta office,” said Trevor Gale, SESAC Senior Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations. “She is a true champion of songwriters and artists and has a keen creative focus as well as a knack for covering all details.

She has worked very diligently to establish SESAC’s strong presence in Atlanta so I am very happy to announce this well-deserved promotion of Peniece.”

Prior to joining SESAC in 2006 , LeGall enjoyed 10 years in the music

Peniece LeGall business including stints with ASCAP and BMI. LeGall served as producer on several music showcases and coordinated talent for two prominent showcases, Essence Music Festival and One Music Festival. LeGall is a graduate of Georgia State University with degrees in English Literature and Music Technology Management and is

a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS).

Established in 1930, SESAC is a service organization created to serve both the creators of music and music users through music licensing and timely, efficient royalty collection and distribution. The nation’s most progressive performing rights organization, SESAC is known for its diversified repertory that includes genres ranging from Adult Contemporary, Urban, Jazz, Rock, Americana, Contemporary Christian, Latin, Country, Gospel, Dance, Classical and New Age. Artists who are affiliated with SESAC include such musical icons as Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, MGMT, Lady Antebellum, Mumford & Sons, Rico Love, Miykal Snoddy, Bryan-Michael Cox, Kendrick Dean, Traci Hale and Vashawn Mitchell, Alice In Chains and many more.

SESAC is also rapidly becoming the performing rights organization of choice among many of Hollywood's most sought-after film and television composers.

Headquartered in Nashville, the company also has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami and London. (www.sesac.com).

Once complete, the $68 billion bullet train would connect Los Angeles with San Francisco.

Dissenting Democratic lawmakers have suggested instead using bonds to improve existing rail systems within those densely populated areas. Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, chairman of the

Senate Transportation and Housing Committee, said he won’t support the plan because there’s too much risk in placing the line in the Central Valley and too much uncertainty that the whole project will get done. He said with resources stretched, the state should See BULLET TRAIN, page 13

Metro M etro o Briefs fs Go Metro Metro Expo Line To To Culver City The M Metro etro Expo p Line’s C Culver ulver Cityy and F Farmdale armdale stations ar aaree now open, making it eas ier to go M etro to more attr action ns. easier Metro attractions.

Discover Culver City’s di ning scene along with the museu ms dining museums of Expo Park, Downtown nightlife and more. F or more For infor mation, go to metro.net/expo. metro.net/expo. information,

Construction C onstruction Begins On Wilshire I-405 Ramps As part of the I-405 Sepu Sepulveda ulveda Pass Improvements Project, crews will demo lish and reconstruct I-405 freewayy demolish ramps over the next year r. C onstruction on the first pair year.

Construction of ramps at Wilshire Bou ulevard is now underway Boulevard underway.. Check m etro.net/405 for the late est information on closures and metro.net/405 latest construction schedules. schedules

Look For For Metro Metro At CalCon CalC a on Expo August 2 Contrac tors, cconstruction Contractors, onstruc tion p professionals roffessionals aand nd ssuppliers uppliers ccan an llearn earn ab out $ 150 b illion in in public public works works projects projec ts underway under way about $150 billion b t tending the the upcoming upcoming California California Construction Construc tion byy aattending E xpo ((CalCon) CalCon) aatt the the Pasadena Passadena Convention Convention Center.

Center. The T he Expo go vernment se c tor is is in in n eed of q ualified firms firms to to support suppor t government sector need qualified cconstruction onstruc tion p rograms. LLearn earn m ore at at calconexpo.com. calconexpo.com. programs. more

Measure R Projects Moving M F Forward orward Metro continues to makee pr Metro progress ogress on more than 70 trans transporportation i improvement i proj jects funded f d d by b voter-approved d projects Measure R. Included in those t projects are 48 for highway and traªc reduction, 16 for f rail and rapid transit and nine for public transit. F ollow the eir pr ogress at metro.net/measurer. metro.net/measurerrr..

Follow their progress

Go Metro Metro to Dodger Stadium S Take T ake a advantage of a winn winning ning combination to reach Dodge Dodgerr Stadium this season. Jus st Go M etro to Union Station and Just Metro connect with the Dodgerr Stadium Express. Y ou’ll o avoid tra aªc You’ll traªc and help reduce air pollu ution; and your same day Dodger pollution; ticket is good for the fare e! The Dodger Stadium Express is fare! made p possible byy Clean T ransportation p F unding g from MSR RC. Transportation Funding MSRC. F or more infor mation, vi sit m etro.net/dodgers.

For information, visit metro.net/dodgers.

If you’d like to know w more, visit metro.net. metro.n net.

12-2301ps_gen-ce-13-001 ©2012 ©2012 lacmt lacmta a

Calif. Homeowner Bill of Rights passes Legislature

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Thursday, July 5, 2012

Protestors tell Walmart: ‘L.A.’s future won’t be bought off!’

Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman plays the March Against Walmart and Low Wage Jobs in Chinatown.

Thousands in Los Angeles unite in largest ever rally to stop “Walmartization” of L.A. jobs In the largest-ever protest against Walmart, thousands of Southland residents marched through L.A.’s Chinatown to call for an end to the “Walmartization” of L.A. Chinatown residents, community organizations, faith and labor leaders, musicians Tom Morello and Ben Harper, civil rights leader Dolores Huerta, US Congresswoman Judy Chu, L.A. Leader Maria Elena Durazo , L.A. LABOR LEADER MARIA ELENA DURAZO and union workers stood with Walmart associates and warehouse workers to call on the retailer to change the way it treats workers and communities.

“Our demands are clear. Walmart must provide a living wage, quality health care, demonstrate respect for local communities, and uphold workers’ rights here and around the world,” said Joe Hansen, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers international union.

Marchers passed through the streets of Chinatown as they made their way from Los Angeles State Historic Park (the Cornfield) to the intersection of

Broadway and Cesar Chavez Blvd. – the proposed site of a controversial new Walmart store. Speakers called on Walmart to stop its cycle of impoverishing communities and on city officials to reject Walmart’s proposal for a store in Chinatown.

"We don’t want Walmart to destroy Chinatown and unique neighborhoods across L.A. and the United States just to make a few executives in the Walton family richer," said Tom Morello, guitarist with Rage Against the Machine.

Morello, performing under his folk rock moniker The Nightwatchman, sang his popular “Union Song” and what he called the “uncensored version” of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land.”

Fellow Grammy winner and singersongwriter Ben Harper showed up between touring gigs to play “We Can’t End this Way.” Harper, a downtown Los Angeles resident, spoke powerfully about how Walmart would negatively affect his community.

In the run-up to the massive rally, local and national momentum continued

Neil Jacobs/Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO

to build as thousands united to call on Walmart to improve its treatment of workers and communities. Grammy winner Steve Earle released a song urging Angelenos to come to today’s rally and all three major Los Angeles mayoral candidates – City Controller Wendy Greuel, City Councilmember Eric Garcetti and City Councilmember Jan

Perry – pledged their support for the rally and promised not to take money from Walmart.

"For far too long corporations like Walmart have been getting special treatment, while middle-class families have been struggling in this tough economy and bearing the brunt of the tax burden.

Let’s send a message that our city needs responsible development that builds our middle class and encourages the growth of a thriving small business sector,” said Greuel.

New energy has been building for months as Walmart associates, warehouse workers and community supporters have denounced the retailer’s alleged Mexican bribery scandal and cover-up, labor violations at warehouses that move Walmart goods in Southern California and the company’s aggressive efforts to open a Chinatown store against the wishes of local residents.

Controversy continues to swirl in Los Angeles around the proposed Chinatown Walmart and questions are growing about how the company may have manipulated the building approval process. Permits were approved with little oversight and public input in the dead of night—before the L.A. City Council

could vote on an ordinance that would have potentially impacted the chain’s ability to build a store in Chinatown.

Chinatown residents decried Walmart’s attempts to locate a store there. “We don’t want to see a Walmart in our historic community,” said King Cheung, a Chinatown resident and member of the Chinatown Community for Equitable Development. “When Walmart comes to town, mom-andpops are forced to close, people lose their jobs and livelihoods, and the jobs Walmart creates keep people in poverty and force them to rely on public assistance for basic needs like healthcare. Chinatown is not the first community to fight to keep Walmart out—and unless the company changes, we won’t be the last.”

“Walmart’s chief product is poverty. Walmart gets rich by keeping its employees poor; however, Walmart workers are organizing for decent wages and affordable benefits. They have the right to dignity and respect and Walmart can afford to do better.

Until Walmart stops selling poverty, we don’t want it in Los Angeles,” said Maria Elena Durazo, Executive See WALMART PROTEST, page 11

Neil Jacobs/Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO

Thousands march through Chinatown, LA with the message “Walmart = Poverty.”

Thursday, July 5, 2012

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Poet laureate Natasha Trethewey working on memoir NEW YORK (AP) — The nation’s new poet laureate will be telling her own story, in prose.

Natasha Trethewey is working on a memoir, currently untitled, that has been acquired by Ecco. The publisher, an imprint of HarperCollins, announced Monday that the book is scheduled to come out in 2014.

The 46-year-old Trethewey is the daughter of a white father and black mother. The memoir will tell of her childhood in the American South in the 1970s and ’80s.

Trethewey won the Pulitzer Prize in 2007 for her collection “Native Guard.” This fall, she begins a one-year term as U.S. poet laureate.

AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, file

This Oct. 10, 2007 file photo shows Pulitzer Prize winning author Natasha Trethewey recites a poem at Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss. Trethewey, the nation’s new poet laureate, is working on a memoir, currently untitled, that has been acquired by Ecco.

South L.A. Building Healthy Communities Partners sponsor summer school

BY PAMELA K. JOHNSON LAWT CONTRIBUTING WRITER The first ever Health Happens Here Summer School is being held on the campus of John Muir Middle School at 5929 South Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles. The program is going on now and will run Monday through Friday, from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., through July 27, 2012.

A range of courses including summer basketball and soccer leagues (for youth 13–16 years of age), youth workforce development, fitness, healthy Nichol Whiteman of L.A.’s Promise, cooking, Zumba, nutrition, radio broadand Bruce Rhodes of the Brotherhood casting, violence prevention, sex education and gardening will be offered free Crusade, are among a group of part- to all South Los Angeles residents with ners offering summer school Classes. a free hot lunch provided daily for children 5-18 years of age.

The program is sponsored by the Brotherhood Crusade, L.A.’s Promise, Peace Over Violence, St. John’s Well Child and Family Center, Planned Parenthood, UMMA Health Clinics, The California Community Foundation, Preparing Achievers for Tomorrow, Fitness Bunch, the Weingart YMCA, Los Angeles Metropolitan Churches, LAUSD District 7, American Heart Association Teaching Gardens, Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic, and BLOOM-Investing in L.A.’s Black Male Youth.

“The California Endowment, the Brotherhood Crusade and their partners are offering an amazing summer program here at John Muir,” said Nisha Dugal, PhD, the principal at John Muir. “We look forward to involving the community as a whole.”

Register today at John Muir or call 213.745.4928.

PUBLIC NOTICE Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) Available for the Interstate-710 (I-710) Corridor Project Announcement of Public Hearings WHAT IS BEING PLANNED? The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), in cooperation with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), the Gateway Cities Council of Governments, the Southern California Association of Governments, the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and the Interstate 5 Joint Powers Authority, are proposing to improve Interstate 710 (I-710) in Los Angeles County between Ocean Blvd. and State Route 60 (SR-60). Major features include widening I710 up to ten general purpose lanes (five lanes in each direction), modernize and reconfigure the I-405, SR-91 and a portion of the I-5 interchanges with I-710, modernize and reconfigure most local arterial interchanges along I710, and provision of a separated four-lane freight corridor to be used by conventional or zero-emission trucks.

WHY THIS NOTICE? Caltrans has studied the potential effects this project may have on the environment. The study that explains these findings is called a Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) which has recently been approved for public circulation.

YOU ARE INVITED Public hearings will be held at the dates and locations provided below • Tuesday August 7, 2012 (6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.) – Progress Park, 15500 Downey Ave., Paramount, CA 90723 • Wednesday August 8, 2012 (6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.) – Silverado Park Community Center, 1545 W. 31st St., Long Beach, CA 90810 • Thursday August 9, 2012 (4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.) – Rosewood Park, 5600 Harbor St., Commerce, CA 90040 WHAT IS AVAILABLE? Copies of the Draft EIR/EIS are available for review at the following locations: • Caltrans District 7 Office, 100 South Main Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 on weekdays from 9 am to 3 pm.

• Metro – Dorothy Peyton Grey Transportation Library, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012, Monday – Thursday 9 am to 4pm, or Friday by appointment.

• Gateway Cities Council of Governments, 16401 Paramount Blvd., Paramount, CA 90723 on weekdays from 9 am to 4 pm.

• City of Commerce Public Library – Bristow Park Branch – 1466 S. McDonnell Ave., Commerce, CA 90040 • County of Los Angeles Public Library – Hollydale Library – 12000 S. Garfield Ave., South Gate, CA 90280 • County of Los Angeles Public Library – East Rancho Dominguez Library – 4205 E. Compton Blvd., Compton CA 90221 • Long Beach Public Library – Main Library – 101 Pacific Ave., Long Beach, CA 90822 • Long Beach Public Library – Bret Harte Library – 1595 W. Willow St., Long Beach, CA 90810 Electronic versions of the Draft EIR/EIS on compact discs are available for review at public libraries throughout the I-710 Corridor.

The Draft EIR/EIS may also be viewed online at: http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist07/resources/envdocs/docs/710corridor/ WHERE YOU COME IN Have the potential impacts been addressed? Do you have information that should be included? If you wish to make a comment on the Draft EIR/EIS, you may submit your written comments until August 29, 2012 to: Ronald Kosinski Caltrans District 7, Division of Environmental Planning 100 South Main Street, MS 16A Los Angeles, CA 90012 or send an e-mail through the project website at http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist07/resources/envdocs/docs/710corridor/ CONTACT/SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS Individuals who require special accommodation (American Sign Language interpreter, accessible seating, documentation in alternate formats, etc.) are requested to contact Caltrans District 7, Attn: Garrett Damrath at (213) 8979016 at least 21 days prior to the scheduled public hearings. TDD users may contact the California Relay Service TTY line at 711.

10

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Warriors coach Mark UGA tailback Jackson target of extortion Crowell dismissed

AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File

In this Dec. 1, 2011 file photo, Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson listens during an NBA basketball news conference in Oakland, Calif. Jackson has confirmed that he and his family were the targets of an extortion scheme. The Smoking Gun reported that a 28-year-old former stripper possessed nude photographs of the married Warriors coach and wanted money to keep the photos from becoming public. The team confirmed two suspects were arrested earlier this week.

BY ANTONIO GONZALEZ | ASSOCIATED PRESS OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson said Thursday that he and his family were the targets of an extortion

attempt related to an extramarital affair he had six years ago.

The Smoking Gun reported that a 28-year-old former stripper, Alexis Adams, possessed nude photographs of Jackson and wanted money to keep the photos from becoming public.

Adams and an alleged co-conspirator, 40-year-old Marcus Shaw, were named in felony criminal complaints for their alleged roles in an extortion scheme, according to online records filed with the U.S. District Court in Oakland. The documents don’t identify the victim but The Smoking Gun said “V1,” as the victim is referred to in documents, is Jackson.

Adams was released on $25,000 bail but Shaw remained behind bars because he has a prior conviction for aggravated robbery in Tennessee in 1996, for which he was sentenced to 12 years in prison, according to court records. He also was arrested in Georgia in 2005 for investigation of murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault and kidnapping, “though the case was ultimately dismissed,” according to an affidavit filed in the case by FBI Special Agent Beth F. Alvarez.

The public defender listed for both didn’t immediately respond to a voicemail or email seeking comment.

In a statement released by the team, Jackson said the extramarital affair occurred when he was still working as an ESPN/ABC broadcaster. He called the affair “embarrassing” and apologized for the affair.

Jackson said a man approached him this past April 3 at the team hotel

RODNEY KING Continued from page 4 His famous words were embroidered on the lid of King’s casket, next to a portrait of him.

“He never asked if people would remember Rodney King. But he wondered if they would remember those words,” Spagnola said. “I told him, ‘long after you’re gone, your words are going to live.’ And I think he took some solace in that.”

in Memphis when Golden State was there to play the Grizzlies and demanded “a substantial sum of money” or he’d sell “personal information” to a tabloid.

Jackson said he “regrettably” paid the man, calling it “a terrible lapse in judgment and a course of action I would not recommend to anyone.”

Court documents show he handed over $5,000.

After the man emailed him two weeks later and called his wife asking for more money, Jackson said, he informed the team about the situation.

The Warriors said they immediately contacted the FBI. Jackson didn’t respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking further comment.

In an email from Shaw dated May 3, he told Jackson he could get $185,000 “from another resource” if the coach didn’t pay, according to the court documents.

Jackson worked with the FBI to record several phone calls and monitor emails.

In response to Shaw’s second demand, according to the documents, “V1” wrote: “If I had known that was amount I would have offered to pay more the first time. I will give you $200,000 to keep this quiet. We can still work this out. I have the money. I do not want these pictures getting out.”

The court documents also note several text messages between Shaw and Adams that outline the alleged extortion attempt.

On the afternoon of April 3 before Jackson said he handed over money, Adams sent a text message to Shaw that read: “Concentrate and (expletive) him up. He is a Fake (expletive) man of god,” according to court documents.

Jackson said he made his wife, Desiree, aware of the affair years ago and the two reconciled.

Jackson, coming off a 23-43 record in his first season as a head coach, is also an ordained minister. He leads a non-denominational congregation with his wife in the Los Angeles suburb of Van Nuys. The couple has four children.

“I recognize the extremely poor judgment that I used both in having an affair six years ago — including the embarrassing communication I exhibited during that time — and in attempting to deal with the extortion scheme at first by myself,” Jackson said in the statement. “I made some egregious errors. I apologize for any embarrassment I may have caused my family, friends and, of course, the Warriors.

“At that time in my life, I was not pastoring. Three years ago, my wife and I established a ministry. With deepest regret, I want to apologize to my Church Family. I was wrong. We must live Holy.”

The team also released a statement supporting Jackson but not condoning his affair.

Jackson included a quote from the Bible in his written statement and asked for forgiveness for his actions.

“What goes on in the dark,” it reads, “will come out in the light.”

following arrest In this Oct. 1, 2011, file photo, Georgia running back Isaiah Crowell runs the ball during an NCAA college football game against the Mississippi State in Athens, Ga.

Crowell faces felony weapons charges after police found a gun in his vehicle early Friday morning, June 29, 2012.

Athens-Clarke Police Department spokeswoman Hilda Sorrow says Crowell was arrested at a vehicle checkpoint on the UGA campus at around 2:20 a.m. Among the charges he faces are carrying a concealed weapon and possession of a weapon on school property.

AP Photo/John Bazemore, File

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia tailback Isaiah Crowell was dismissed from the team Friday by coach Mark Richt after the sophomore was arrested on felony weapons charges.

Police found a gun in Crowell’s vehicle early Friday morning. Georgia announced the dismissal Friday afternoon. Richt’s short statement in the announcement did not mention Crowell.

“We have a dedicated and committed group of men who are working hard to prepare for the coming season,” Richt said. “Our total focus will be directed toward the team and this effort.”

Crowell was arrested at a vehicle checkpoint on the Georgia campus at around 2:20 a.m., according to AthensClarke Police Department spokeswoman Hilda Sorrow. Among the charges he faces are carrying a concealed weapon and possession of a weapon on school property.

Crowell consented to a search after officers smelled marijuana in the vehicle. Police found a 9-millimeter Luger pistol under the driver’s seat with an altered serial number.

Crowell was released on bond Friday afternoon.

As a freshman in 2011, Crowell led Georgia with 850 yards rushing.

Crowell, 19, came to UGA in 2011 as the top-rated running back prospect in the country out of Carver High School in Columbus, Ga. He announced he would attend Georgia by pulling out a bulldog puppy at signing day news conference.

He went on to win Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year honors from The Associated Press.

Crowell rushed for a career high 147 yards on 30 carries to help the Georgia beat Ole Miss 27-13 last season. He eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark on four occasions, and scored six touchdowns.

Despite his success, Crowell’s freshman season also included setbacks on the field and off. He and two of his teammates were suspended for one game and missed Georgia’s game against New Mexico State after they failed a drug test.

In the SEC championship game, he struggled with 10 carries for 15 yards in a 42-10 loss to LSU. Richt said in March that he was impressed by Crowell’s work ethic in the offseason. Richt said at that time the running back is “definitely growing up.”

Crowell’s exit will open the path for two highly rated newcomers to the team to play as freshmen.

Tailbacks Keith Marshall of Raleigh, N.C. and Todd Gurley of Tarboro, N.C., were two of the top players in Richt’s 2012 signing class.

Ken Malcome, Brandon Harton and fullback/tailback Richard Samuel are left as the top returning rushers.

Marshall was third, behind Malcome and Crowell, on Georgia's tailback depth chart released after spring practice.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

11

Williams returning to Jazz; Odom heads to LA

AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

Allyson Felix, celebrates her win in the women’s 200 AP Photo/Charlie Riedel meters at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials Jeneba Tarmoh starts her heat in the women’s 200 meter Saturday, June 30, 2012, in Eugene, Ore. Felix won the semi-finals at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials 200 but she and Jeneba Tarmoh tied for third place in Friday, June 29, 2012, in Eugene, Ore. the 100 meters.

Tarmoh gives up Olympic spot in 100 to Felix

BY PAT GRAHAM | ASSOCIATED PRESS AP Photo/Darren Abate, File

In this March 9, 2012, file photo, Los Angeles Clippers’ Mo Williams, center, shoots between San Antonio Spurs’ DeJuan Blair, left, and Tim Duncan during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio. A person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press, Thursday, June 28, that Williams will be reunited with the Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks’ Lamar Odom is headed back to Los Angeles for a second chance with the Clippers in a three-team deal that would net the Mavericks an $8.2 million trade exception.

BY LYNN DEBRUIN | ASSOCIATED PRESS SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Mo Williams will be reunited with the Utah Jazz as part of a four-team deal that will send Lamar Odom back to Los Angeles for a second chance with the Clippers.

William’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, initially told The Associated Press the deal was finalized about 3:45 p.m.

MDT Friday, and the Jazz and Clippers officially announced it in releases three hours later.

The deal initially was believed to involve only three teams, but a fourth, the Houston Rockets, got involved after Thursday's draft. The Rockets received the rights to the Clippers' 53rd overall pick, Furkan Aldemir, and the Jazz sent the team’s trade exception to Dallas. The Mavs also received cash considerations from Houston.

Williams must pass a physical but is expected to hold a news conference in Salt Lake City on Monday or Tuesday.

The Jazz drafted Williams in 2003 but allowed him to leave after one season, a decision that general manager Kevin O’Connor said was the worst he ever made.

Dallas faced a Friday deadline on a $2.4 million buyout of Odom’s $8.2 million option for next season.

Williams’ decision to exercise his

$8.5 million player option cleared the way for the deal.

“He’s really excited,” Bartelstein said. “This is where his career started.

They’ve got a terrific young team. He thinks he can come in and bring real leadership. He’s excited about that.

They made it clear how much they wanted him. They did a good job of recruiting him.”

Williams played in 57 games as a rookie before going to Milwaukee. He eventually became a starter and was an All-Star as recently as 2009.

Asked to recall the amount he let Williams leave Utah for, O’Connor on Thursday night shook his head and said, “It wasn’t that much.”

Bartelstein, who has several other players on the team, found it hard to fault the Jazz.

“Mo was a really young player at that time,” he said. “Kevin has wanted him back for a long time. Now, he’s got him back. I think it’s a great fit.”

Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin has made no effort to hide how much he likes Williams, calling him a great player Thursday.

Bartelstein said reports that Williams was blocking the trade were untrue. He said they simply needed to do their “due diligence” and make sure it was the best decision.

Williams, 29, is in the final year of See WILLIAMS/ODOM, page 14

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Jeneba Tarmoh conceded the final Olympic spot in the 100 meters rather than race against training partner Allyson Felix.

Tarmoh notified USA Track and Field on Monday of her intention to withdraw. Her agent, Kimberly Holland, already made it known that Tarmoh would not participate in a runoff Monday night to settle a thirdplace tie at the U.S. track trials.

In an email sent through her agent to USATF, Tarmoh said: “I understand that with this decision I am no longer running the 100m dash in the Olympic Games and will be an alternate for the event.”

Tarmoh, who felt all along she had won the race on June 23, did not specify in her statement why she was giving up a chance to possibly run the 100 in London. USATF President Stephanie Hightower said the organization was "disappointed" Tarmoh had a change of heart.

The runoff was scheduled to be shown in prime time on NBC in conjunction with the network’s coverage of the swimming trials. It would’ve been a boon for track. Now, it’s another blow for a sport that’s taken its fair share of late.

The controversy in the 100 overshadowed the entire trials because USATF had no protocol in place to deal with a dead heat. And while top officials scrambled to draft a tiebreaking procedure, the athletes didn’t want to talk about it until after the conclusion of the 200 — nearly a week later.

The tiebreak also didn’t exactly address this particular situation — an athlete commits to racing and decides not to at the last minute. The matter, however, was resolved once Tarmoh stepped aside.

Felix will now race in both the 100 and 200 in London. Tarmoh didn't qualify in the 200, but is eligible to run in the Olympic 400-meter relay.

“The situation has been difficult for everyone involved,” Felix said in a statement. “I had accepted the USATF decision and was prepared to run at 5 p.m. I wanted to earn my spot on this team and not have it conceded to me so I share in everyone’s disappointment that this runoff will not happen.

All I can do now is turn my focus to London.”

Tarmoh only reluctantly agreed to the runoff. She believed she won on the track fair and square nine days ago.

“In my heart of hearts, I just feel like I earned the third spot,” she said Sunday.

“I almost feel like I was kind of robbed.”

Tarmoh leaned across the finish line and looked up to see her name on the scoreboard in the third spot behind winner Carmelita Jeter and runner-up

Tianna Madison. The 22-year-old Tarmoh even took a celebratory lap around the track, waving an American flag. She received a medal and held a news conference.

Then, she found out about the dead heat from reporters.

The situation has been a debacle since Felix and Tarmoh crossed the line in 11.068 seconds. The options USATF presented to settle the tie were a runoff, coin flip or one athlete conceding the spot to the other.

The athletes and their agents met with USATF representatives Sunday, and Felix and Tarmoh chose to settle matters on the track. Tarmoh, however, was clearly unhappy with the choice.

“This decision was really hard for me to make,” Tarmoh said. “I was pushed into a corner. They said if you don’t make a decision, you give your spot up. I work too hard to just give my spot up. I had to say it was a runoff.”

WALMART PROTEST Continued from page 6 Secretary-Treasurer of the L.A. County Federation of Labor. This march marked the largest mobilization of rank-and-file union members in support of Walmart associates and warehouse workers, who are organizing to improve conditions.

The demonstrators announced specific demands, which they said Walmart must meet in order to restore trust among workers, communities and customers. “I work hard at Walmart’s Crenshaw store, but even with a promotion, I still have to rely on public healthcare for my kids,” said Girshriela Green, a Walmart associate and member of OUR Walmart, a growing organization of Walmart associates nationwide. “Working hard should mean getting ahead – but it doesn’t at Walmart.

If we don’t put an end to the Walmart model of making a few people rich and keeping the rest of us struggling, we are going to live in a country with no middle class at all. For my kids and for my community, I’m speaking out for change at Walmart.”

Walmart has had a recent string of setbacks in its efforts to build new stores in urban areas as communities push back against the company.

Walmart recently abandoned plans to develop two stores in the Boston metro area after local residents voiced strong opposition to the planned stores. The company’s New York efforts have been stalled as the New York City Comptroller filed a lawsuit in connection with the recent bribery scandal.

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Thursday, July 5, 2012

Houston tribute, obscenities highlight BET Awards

Naomi Campbell, perfume firm settle NYC lawsuits

BY MESFIN FEKADU | ASSOCIATED PRESS With all the star power at the BET Awards — Kanye West, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Beyonce and Samuel L. Jackson, to name a few — the most stirring moment came not from a superstar, but from the mother of one.

Whitney Houston’s mother, Cissy, provided the emotional highlight of Sunday’s ceremony as she sang “Bridge Over Troubled Water” in tribute to her late daughter, leaving audience members like Beyonce and Soulja Boy in tears.

Mariah Carey opened the tribute, and her voice wavered as she told stories about Houston. She recalled the last time she saw Houston last year, and how the two laughed and gossiped together.

“I miss my friend,” Carey said. “I miss hearing her voice and laughter.”

R&B singer Monica was vocally top-notch as she sang “I Love the Lord,” a gospel song once sang by Houston; Brandy sang two upbeat Houston hits, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” and “I’m Your Baby Tonight.” Chaka Khan blazed the stage with “I’m Every Woman,” which Houston remade. Gary Houston, Whitney’s brother, also performed; and

Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP

Cissy Houston pauses as she performs during the in memoriam to her daughter Whitney Houston at the BET Awards on Sunday, July 1, 2012, in Los Angeles.

Houston’s “Waiting to Exhale” castmates — Angela Bassett, Lela Rochon and Loretta Devine — also honored the singer.

But it was Cissy Houston’s soaring performance that brought the audience to their feet, and had many dabbing their eyes. The tribute came five months after Houston’s death: She died the night before the Grammy Awards of an accidental drowning complicated by heart disease and cocaine use.

As compelling as that moment was, the show was also defined by its low points: Entire segments of performances, from Nicki Minaj to Rick Ross, were muted out due to foul language

Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP

Kanye West, left, and Jay-Z accept the award for best group for “The Throne” at the BET Awards on Sunday, July 1, 2012, in Los Angeles.

and obscenities, though several vulgarities were heard on air.

It started during the opening number by West’s G.O.O.D. music group, which included Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz. There were long moments of censored silence when the rappers performed “Mercy,” though not all the offending words were bleeped out.

Moments later, Jackson, the show’s host, was joined by Spike Lee as they did a comedic version of Jay-Z and West’s hit song “... In Paris,” to laughs.

“Two distinguished Morehouse men,” Lee joked after the performance, referencing the alma mater of the two.

The censor police also worked overtime when Rick Ross performed with his Maybach Music Group and during Minaj’s performance and acceptance speech for best female hip-hop artist. Minaj’s win was her third consecutive time taking the prize.

“I really, really appreciate BET for keeping this category alive, and I appreciate all the female rappers doing their thing, past, present and future,” she said, before uttering an obscenity.

Best gospel winner Yolanda Adams, who also performed, gently took some of her peers to task, urging them to act mature and use their fame wisely.

“We need all of y’all,” she said onstage. “I’m saying the world needs everyone in this room. Please make sure that you use your gift responsibly, ‘cause we’re watching. Our babies are watching, and they want to be like us.”

West, the most nominated act of the night with seven, and Jay-Z won the ceremony’s top prize, earning video of the year for “Otis.” They also won best group.

Beyonce was the second most nominated act with six. She won video director of the year (along with Alan Ferguson) and best female R&B artist and thanked the genre and her female influences.

“I fell in love with music by listening to R&B. It’s the core of who I am,” she said, giving special thanks to Lauryn Hill, Mary J. Blige and See BET AWARDS, page 14

NEW YORK, N.Y. Naomi Campbell and a perfume company have settled a sour dispute that started over a fragrance line and became part of the backdrop of former Liberian President Charles Taylor’s war crimes trial.

Dueling lawsuits between the supermodel and an entity called Moodform Mission were closed Thursday, Manhattan court records show. Moodform Mission’s lawyer, Daniel R. Bright, said Friday his clients “are happy with the settlement,” but he wouldn’t disclose details.

Campbell’s lawyer didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment.

The dispute involves AP Photo/Joel Ryan, File Campbell's longtime forIn this Feb. 13, 2012 file photo, Naomi mer modeling agent, Carole White, who joined with a Campbell poses in the press room for the Elle Miami Beach, Florida- Style Awards at the Savoy hotel in London. based cosmetics company Campbell and a perfume company have setto form Moodform Mission tled a sour dispute that started over a fragrance line and became part of the backdrop in the 1990s.

Her New York court of former Liberian President Charles Taylor’s fight with the model was war crimes trial. Dueling lawsuits between the mentioned at Taylor’s 2010 supermodel and an entity called Moodform war crimes trial, at which Mission were closed Thursday, June 28, 2012, White contradicted the Manhattan court records show. model’s testimony about some alleged blood diamonds — the purpose of avoiding her obligagems used to finance wars — she tion to pay Moodform Mission the received from the former Liberian money required to be paid to it,” said president. Taylor was convicted of the suit, filed in 2009.

Campbell, meanwhile, said she arming and supporting murderous rebels in Sierra Leone in return for wasn't given full information before blood diamonds; he was sentenced in signing her deal with Moodform May to 50 years in prison. He plans to Mission. She said she didn’t know for years that White — her chief agent appeal his conviction.

At his trial in the Netherlands, from 1993 until about 2006 — had a Campbell said she didn’t know the stake in the perfume partnership.

“If White had told me that she source of the stones presented to her after a dinner at former South African was a principal in (Moodform President Nelson Mandela’s mansion Mission), I would not have blindly in 1997, or even that they were dia- trusted her advice to sign the documonds. She gave them to a friend to ments that she brought to me,” Campbell said in a sworn statement donate to charity.

When White took the stand and last year. “... White held a position of insisted that Campbell knew Taylor trust and confidence in my life, and I had provided the stones, Taylor’s expected her to act in my best interlawyer accused White of lying to fur- ests (and never to benefit if this ther her lawsuit over the perfume fall- would be detrimental to my interests).” out. White denied it.

Campbell, now 41, became one In the perfume suit, Moodform Mission said it was unfairly squeezed of the world’s highest-paid models out of its share of millions of dollars after being discovered at age 15. She in profits from such scents as Naomi is British.

She has also been known for her Campbell, Cat Deluxe and Seductive Elixir after working for years to line feisty temper. At various points, she up a 1998 fragrance deal for pleaded guilty to cursing and kicking at police officers in a rage over missCampbell.

The agreement called for regular ing luggage at London’s Heathrow payments to Moodform Mission once Airport, hurling a cellphone at her the scents went on the market in maid in New York because of a van2001, netting Campbell millions of ished pair of jeans and beating an dollars over the years, according to assistant who said the model the company’s lawsuit. It said whacked her on the head with a Campbell violated the contract by phone in Toronto.

She was released without punishinking a new fragrance-licensing ment in the Toronto case and senagreement in 2008.

The new deal “was a fraudulent tenced to community service in the scheme arranged by (Campbell) for others.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

13

Lauryn Hill pleads guilty in NJ to tax charges AP Photo/Mel Evans

Lauryn Hill arrives at federal court Friday, June, 29, 2012, in Newark, N.J. The eight-time Grammy Award winner and South Orange, N.J., resident was charged this week with willfully failing to file income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service. Federal prosecutors said she didn’t pay taxes on more than $1.5 million earned in 2005, 2006 and 2007 from recording and film royalties.

BY DAVID PORTER | ASSOCIATED PRESS NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Eighttime Grammy-winning singer Lauryn Hill pleaded guilty Friday to not paying federal taxes on more than $1.5 million earned over three years.

Appearing in U.S. District Court in Newark, Hill admitted failing to file tax returns from 2005 to 2007. She

faces a maximum one-year sentence on each of the three counts. She was charged three weeks ago.

Dressed in a dark jacket, white button-up shirt and a long reddishorange skirt, Hill declined to comment after Friday’s hearing. During the hearing, attorney Nathan Hochman indicated that Hill planned to pay back the taxes she owes.

See LAURYN HILL, page 15

BULLET TRAIN

BY SHAYA TAYEFE MOHAJER | ASSOCIATED PRESS LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two Los Angeles police officers won't face criminal charges alleging they leaked a photo of pop star Rihanna’s bruised and beaten face after she was assaulted by singer Chris Brown, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office said.

An internal report by prosecutors says that after a three-year investigation, they didn’t have enough evidence to show celebrity news website TMZ paid the accused officers for the photo, and that became an obstacle in charging them.

The Associated Press report obtained a copy of the March 28 report on Thursday after its contents were first reported by the Los Angeles Times.

Officers Blanca Lopez and Rebecca Reyes may still get fired.

They are slated to appear before disciplinary panels in August.

Brown, who was Rihanna’s boyfriend at the time, was arrested on suspicion of beating the Grammy winner on Feb. 8, 2009, leaving her bloody and bruised.

The “Umbrella” and “Only Girl (In The World)” songstress, whose full

AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File

In this Feb. 7, 2009 file photo, Rihanna arrives at the Clive Davis preGrammy party in Beverly Hills, Calif. Two Los Angeles police officers won’t face criminal charges alleging they leaked a photo of pop star Rihanna’s bruised and beaten face after she was assaulted by singer Chris Brown, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office said. name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, canceled her Grammy performance that year after the incident.

Brown pleaded guilty to attacking Rihanna and was ordered to serve five

years on supervised probation and to complete six months of community service including roadside cleanup, graffiti removal and manual labor.

See RIHANNA, page 15

F R O M T H E W R I T E R O F “ S C A R FAC E ”

Continued from page 5 focus on other needs such as education and health care.

“Sometimes it’s like a car you really wanted and it was a really good deal, and you’re walking away from a good deal but you just can’t afford it,” said the lawmaker from Concord.

“I’ve always said I was prepared to support high-speed rail done right,” said Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, another skeptic. “But frankly the High-Speed Rail Authority has struggled to deliver a project that fits that description.”

Lawmakers are under pressure from labor groups that say the project is sorely needed because it will bring jobs, particularly to the Central Valley region that has higher-than-average unemployment. The Obama administration has threatened to rescind $3.3 billion in federal grants if the Legislature doesn’t appropriate its share of funding.

The governor is counting on those federal funds and the $2.7 billion in state bonds for a total of $6 billion to build the first segment. California was able to secure more than expected after Florida, Ohio and Wisconsin turned down federal money.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood met with legislative leaders in Sacramento last month and told them not to delay the decision. The Federal Railway Administration has said the money must be used for the Central Valley segment.

Steinberg, the Senate leader, said the Legislature will vote this week to authorize the state bond. Another $800 million or so will be dedicated for upgrades in Northern and Southern California.

“I get the argument that to start in the Central Valley creates a risk because there’s no guarantee of future

DA: No charges in leak of Rihanna beating photo

funding,” Steinberg said. “But here’s the upside: There is a greater risk in not going forward. ... You will never know whether California could have led the national way in attracting more federal resources next year and the year after, much less private investment.”

The California High-Speed Rail Authority, which is managing the project, faces a September 2017 federal deadline to finish the first segment of the line in the Central Valley.

Dan Richard, chairman of the authority, said the vote not only starts construction on high-speed rail in California but also authorizes financing to help electrify Caltrain, a San JoseSan Francisco commuter line, and upgrade Metrolink’s lines in Southern California.

“I’m absolutely convinced that the plan that we’ve put forth is the best plan given the resource limitations that we have,” Richard said. “And it will move us forward towards an integrated intercity rail system with early investments in the bookends in the urban areas. It’s a balanced plan.”

Legislative leaders have suggested that additional funding would next go toward extending high-speed rail from Bakersfield to Palmdale, which could link with regional rail systems into Los Angeles.

Supporters say the project will bring roughly 20,000 jobs for the next five years.

“This isn’t just any vote,” said Jim Earp, executive director of the California Alliance for Jobs, which represents union construction workers.

“This is a watershed vote. It’s the kind of vote that you remember what people do because a lot of folks’ livelihoods depend upon what happens in Sacramento on this vote.”

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Thursday, July 5, 2012

HOMEOWNERS BILL Continued from page 5 said Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg. “At the same time, the protection gained by homeowners will help stabilize the housing sector of our economy. I applaud my colleagues for their hard work to protect consumers through this reasoned compromise.”

“The package approved by the Legislature today is a major victory for California’s consumers,” said Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez. “We impose tough new regulations on banks and lenders to stop the abusive practices we’ve seen since the collapse of the housing market, and this package will bring relief to hundreds of thousands of California homeowners.”

The California Homeowner Bill of Rights consists of a series of related bills, including two that were passed on June 26 by a two-house conference committee: AB 278 (Eng, Feuer, Pérez, Mitchell) and SB 900 (Leno, Evans, Corbett, DeSaulnier, Pavley, Steinberg).

The two identical bills passed by the conference committee contain key elements of the legislative package and provide protections for borrowers and struggling homeowners, including a restriction on dual-track foreclosures, where a lender forecloses on a borrower despite being in discussions over a loan modification to save the home.

The bills also guarantee struggling homeowners a single point of contact at their lender with knowledge of their loan and direct access to decision makers. For the first time, the Homeowner Bill of Rights imposes civil penalties, of up to $7,500, on the repeated filing of foreclosure documents without verifying their accuracy, a practice commonly known as “robo-signing.” In addition, homeowners may require loan servicers to document their right to foreclose.

Homeowners will also have a clearly-defined right to access the

courts to protect themselves from violations of these protections.

The Homeowner Bill of Rights also consists of four bills outside of the conference committee process. These will enhance law enforcement responses to mortgage and foreclosure-related crime, in part by empowering the Attorney General to call a grand jury in response to financial crimes spanning multiple jurisdictions.

Additional elements will help communities fight blight related to foreclosure, and the crime that results, and provide enhanced protections for tenants in foreclosed homes. Please see the attached fact sheet for the status of these bills.

The California Homeowner Bill of Rights was introduced February 29, 2012 at a press conference featuring Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez and Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and bill authors from the Assembly and Senate.

The Homeowner Bill of Rights codifies many of the core protections from the recent national mortgage settlement.

The California Homeowner Bill of Rights extends Attorney General Harris’ response to the state’s foreclosure and mortgage crisis. Attorney General Harris created a Mortgage Fraud Strike Force in March, 2011 to investigate and prosecute misconduct related to mortgages and foreclosures.

In February 2012 Attorney General Harris extracted a commitment from the nation’s five largest banks to dedicate an estimated $18 billion to mitigate financial harm to California borrowers caused by bank misconduct in the foreclosure process.

More details about the California Homeowner Bill of Rights are found on the attached fact sheet. To learn more about how the bills impact California homeowners, review the slideshow at: www.oag.ca.gov.

BET AWARDS Continued from page 12 “Whitney Houston, my angel.”

When she lost video of the year to Jay-Z and West, she playfully hit her husband and laughed. The joking continued: Moments later, as West was giving his acceptance speech, Jay-Z interrupted him and said: “Excuse me Kanye, I’m gonna let you continue, but ...,” and the audience erupted with laughter, recalling West’s infamous interruption of Taylor Swift’s MTV Video Music Awards speech a few years back.

Chris Brown was also a double winner, picking up his second consecutive win for best male R&B artist, and the “Fandemonium” award for a third time.

Brown also performed in his first televised appearance since the New York City nightclub brawl between his entourage and Drake’s. Brown, his girlfriend, his bodyguard and NBA star Tony Parker were among those injured in the June 14 encounter, where bottles were thrown.

Drake didn’t show, though he was named best male hip-hop artist.

The tone of night fluctuated frequently, as the show shifted from hotly anticipated performances to solemn moments to irreverence. Usher performed his groove “Climax,” and Minaj sported a blond wig with pink tips as she performed the songs “Champion” and “Beez in the Trap,”

which featured 2 Chainz.

D’Angelo returned to the television spotlight with his first performance in years as he attempts a comeback.

The night also featured some tributes to deceased greats: Chante Moore performed a medley of Donna Summer’s hits and Valerie Simpson sang a song in honor of her husband and writing partner Nick Ashford. Don Cornelius, Dick Clark and Hal Jackson were remembered. Even West offered tributes: after his performance, he name-dropped Rodney King and Whitney Houston in a verse that got cheers from the crowd, including his girlfriend, Kim Kardashian.

Presenters included Taraji P. Henson, Tyler Perry, Kerry Washington and Jamie Foxx, who wore a T-shirt that had a picture of Trayvon Martin, the Florida teen killed by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman.

Frankie Beverly featuring Maze were honored with the lifetime achievement award, and they were serenaded with performances by Tyrese, Faith Evans and Joe. The Rev. Al Sharpton received the humanitarian award, and urged the crowd to vote this November.

“This election is not just about Obama, this is about your momma,” he said.

Clarence Thomas worse than a member of the KKK

George H.W. Bush, who nominated him to the Supreme Court, chose Thomas at least partly because he is black. Race is a central fact of his meteoric rise, and Thomas has alternately denied it and resented it – all the way to the top.”

To characterize Thomas’ behavior as resentment is an understatement.

The late U.S. Appeals Court Judge Leon Higginbotham observed, “I have often pondered how is it that Justice Thomas, an African-American, could be so insensitive to the plight of the powerless. Why is he no different, or probably worse, than many of the most conservative Supreme Court justices of the century? I can only think of one Supreme Court justice during the century who was worse than Justice Clarence Thomas: James McReynolds, a white supremacist who referred to blacks as ‘niggers.’”

Though arguably the worst, Thomas is by no means the only African American who votes against the interests of his community.

Alabama Congressman Artur Davis was soundly defeated two years ago in his bid to win statewide office. Under the delusion that he could become the first Black governor of Alabama, Davis fervently attacked local Black leaders and was the only member of the

Congressional Black Caucus to vote against the Affordable Care Act. Longtime Alabama State Senator Hank Sanders challenged Davis tactics.

“Some Whites use race to consolidate White voters during election and some Blacks use race to consolidate Black voters,” Sanders wrote in his newsletter, Senate Sketches. “But this time, there is a new context: a technically well qualified Black person is running for Governor of Alabama in the Democratic Primary against a technically well qualified White. There is also a new twist: a Black person is attempting to use the race of other Blacks to consolidate Whites behind him. It’s a new context with new twists in an age old saga.”

The saga did not end well for Davis, who has since joined the Republican Party. In his primary contest against Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks, who is White, Davis lost 10 of the 12 counties that made up his congressional district, some by as much as 70 percent. He even lost his own polling place in Birmingham.

And let’s not forget Edolphus Towns, the Democratic Congressman from Brooklyn. Though Towns did not vote for a civil contempt citation against Attorney General Eric Holder, he took a more cowardly approach by voting present. We should not be surprised.

This is the same person who supported Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama in 2008. Before that, he backed Republican Rudy Giuliani for mayor over Manhattan Borough President Ruth Messenger. Fortunately, Towns is not seeking re-election.

When I look at Clarence Thomas, Artur Davis, Edolphus Towns and others we should hold in contempt, I think back to what Thurgood Marshall said about Clarence Thomas: “There’s no difference between a white snake and a black snake. They’ll both bite.”

George E. Curry, former editor-inchief of Emerge magazine, is editor-inchief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA) and editorial director of Heart & Soul magazine. He is a keynote speaker, moderator, and media coach. Curry can be reached through his Web site, www.georgecurry.com.

You can also follow him at www.twitter.com/currygeorge.

tioned the player's commitment to the team.

Odom's averages of 6.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 20.5 minutes in Dallas were career lows. The 32-year-old Odom has averaged 14.2 points and 8.6 rebounds in 879 career games.

The four-team deal provides the Mavericks with an $8.2 million trade exception, similar to what they used to acquire Odom from the Los Angeles Lakers last December.

The Jazz, meanwhile, get another veteran guard.

Utah already has Devin Harris at point guard. But team officials have said they could make it work with both Harris and Williams.

Bartelstein confirmed Harris was

not part of the trade.

Williams averaged 13.2 points and 3.1 assists in 52 games last season for the Clippers, who acquired him in a trade from Cleveland in February 2011. In 589 career games, he has averaged 13.8 points and 4.9 assists.

He played out of position much of last season after the blockbuster deal that brought Chris Paul to the Clippers and the team then acquired Chauncey Billups.

The Jazz took Williams 47th overall in 2003.

Also Friday, the Jazz exercised their option on guard Jamaal Tinsley for the 2012-13 season, and tendered a qualifying offer to forward Jeremy Evans.

BY GEORGE E. CURRY NNPA COLUMNIST As the nation eagerly awaited the Supreme Court’s decision on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, all eyes were focused on Anthony M. Kennedy, a staunch conservative who occasionally supplies the lone swing vote that tilts the court’s narrow 5-4 rulings in one direction or the other.

But this time, to the surprise of arch-conservatives who had championed his cause, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. sided with the liberal bloc on the Supreme Court, giving President Obama an unexpected clear victory in his signature legislative accomplishment.

What was not surprising was that Clarence Thomas would not step into the role filled by Roberts. He is widely regarded as the most conservative member of a conservative-dominated Supreme Court. Thomas is far more conservative that Hugo Black, a former member of the Ku Klux Klan who served on the court from 1937-1971.

Black, a former U.S. Senator from Alabama (he once filibustered an antilynching bill) joined the KKK in the early 1920s. In fact, during the 1926 election, he gave speeches at KKK meetings throughout the state. Black later acknowledged that joining the Klan was a mistake and became one of the most liberal members of the Supreme Court, strongly backing the principle of “one man, one vote” and using the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to forbid racial discrimination.

No such luck with Clarence Thomas.

In every major case involving affirmative action – including Texas v.

Hopwood, Adarand v. Pena and Grutter v. Bollinger – Thomas voted against the interests of African Americans. What makes that so strange is that Thomas has benefited from affirmative action throughout his adult life.

In their excellent book, Supreme Discomfort: The Divided Soul of Clarence Thomas, Kevin Merida and Michael A. Fletcher, two colleagues at the Washington Post, write: “Every Thomas employer, from [Former Missouri Sen. John] Danforth, who gave him his first job, to President

George E. Curry

WILLIAMS/ODOM Continued from page 11 a contract that will pay him $8.5 million.

While Williams put up solid numbers in Los Angeles under difficult circumstances, Odom — drafted fourth overall by the Clippers in 1999 — is coming off an underwhelming 50game stint with Dallas that didn’t even take him through the entire season. He was the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year for the Lakers for the 2010-11 season.

The Mavericks on April 9 said Odom would be inactive for the rest of the season, when the then-defending NBA champions still had nine regular season games left and were making their push toward the playoffs. That move came two days after a heated halftime exchange between Odom and Dallas owner Mark Cuban, who ques-

Thursday, July 5, 2012

15

FOR RENT

LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (LACMTA)

Dbl. Rm. Share rm. with 1 other male occupant. Clean and quiet home/ Crenshaw area. No Drugs or Alcohol.

323-293-9495

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) is requesting Proposals from Design–Build Entities (“Proposers”) for RFP No. C0988, Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor Design-Build, to perform the final design and construction of the Crenshaw/ LAX Transit Corridor Project (Project). The Project is an 8 ½ mile light rail line that will extend services from the intersection of Exposition and Crenshaw Boulevards to the Metro Green Line’s Aviation/LAX station.

RIHANNA Continued from page 13 Prosecutors allege the photo was leaked after a stack of photographs of Rihanna’s injuries was left lying on a desk at the Wilshire police station and Reyes took a picture of the top photo with her phone.

Prosecutors say Reyes later emailed the image from her LAPD email address to her personal email address.

Reyes and Lopez were roommates at the time, and phone records showed that they made multiple phone calls to Fox Television and TMZ in February.

The photo shocked fans and prompted a national conversation about domestic violence after it spread through the media.

But despite a search of Reyes’ and Lopez's bank accounts, a money trail was not discovered tying the leak to them, prosecutors said.

In order to prove the officers broke the law, prosecutors said in the report they “must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Reyes and Lopez disclosed the image of Robyn F. (Rihanna) to TMZ and obtained money in exchange for this disclosure.”

The prosecutors’ report noted that other LAPD personnel had access to the photos.

LACMTA is using a two-step process to select a Design-Builder to deliver the Project. The first step sought Statement of Qualifications (SOQs) that LACMTA received in response to its Request for Qualifications (RFQ) dated December 21, 2011. The teams pre-qualified as a result of the first step are: TEAMS Walsh Construction Company J.F. Shea Construction Inc. Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. Skanska USA Civil West California District Inc. Traylor Brothers, Inc. URS Energy &Construction, Inc. Flatiron West, Inc. Dragados USA, Inc. Fluor Enterprises, Inc. Balfour Beatty Rail, Inc. S.A. Healey Company

July 6, 1853 National Black convention met in Rochester, New York, with 140 delegates from nine states. James W.C. Pennington of New York was elected president of this meeting which is generally considered the largest and most representative of the early Black conventions.

July 6, 1957 The first Black woman tennis champion, Althea Gibson, win’s the women’s Wimbledon singles championship.

URS, Flatiron and Dragados Crenshaw Transit Partners, JV

A Pre-Proposal Conference will be held on July 10, 2012, at 1:00 p.m. in the Board Room on the 3rd Floor of the Metro Gateway Plaza Building. Attendance at the Pre-proposal Conference is not mandatory but is highly recommended for all Proposers. (Note that LACMTA does not pay for parking or validate tickets.)

This RFP package, due to its size, is not available for review or download from LACMTA’s website. A complete set of the RFP package is available on discs DVD/CD. Each DVD/CD package can be purchased for a price of $25.00 when picked up at LACMTA, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012-2952, 9th Floor Receptionist or $50.00 if DVD/CD package is to be mailed. Requests must be accompanied by payment to LACMTA in the form of a money order, a company check, a cashier’s check, or a certified check (personal checks are not an acceptable form of payment); Monday through Friday (except holidays) between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. at the LACMTA Gateway Plaza building at the address above.

All Proposals must be received by 2:00 pm, Pacific Time, November 6, 2012 and may be delivered by FEDEX, UPS, U.S. mail or hand or courier to

“As such, although both Reyes and Lopez’s actions are suspicious, they are insufficient to support a criminal prosecution,” the report says.

Rihanna’s attorney Donald Etra said Thursday he does not know at this

time whether the singer wants to pursue any further legal action.

“Apparently this was an internal decision by the district attorney. A victim’s privacy should be protected,” Etra said.

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) One Gateway Plaza Los Angeles, CA 90012-2952 9th Floor Receptionist For further information, please contact Frederick Origel via e-mail at origelf@metro.net CNS#2337835 RECREATION PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH

GOVERNMENT

Continued from page 4

BlackFacts.com

Kiewit/Skanska/Traylor JV

This RFP is issued as a second step of the procurement process. LACMTA will award a Firm Fixed Price contract to the responsive and responsible Proposer offering a Proposal that is determined by LACMTA, based on the evaluation factors set forth in this RFP, to provide the Best Value.

ERIC HOLDER walked out of the House chamber to boycott the first of two contempt votes, saying Republicans were more interested in shameful election-year politics than documents.

Republicans demanded the documents for an ongoing investigation, but their arguments focused more on the need for closure for the family of slain Border Patrol agent Brian Terry.

Two guns identified by the Fast and Furious tracking operation were found near his body after a shootout in Arizona.

Democrats promised closure as well, but said a less-partisan Republican investigation was the only way to get it.

Adding to the emotion of the day, the family of the slain agent issued a

Also Known As (AKA) Walsh Shea Joint Venture

statement backing the Republicans.

“The Terry family takes no pleasure in the contempt vote against Attorney General Eric Holder. Such a vote should not have been necessary.

The Justice Department should have released the documents related to Fast and Furious months ago,” the statement said.

The contempt votes happened on the day that Obama’s health care law survived in the Supreme Court, prompting some Democrats to speculate that the votes were scheduled to be overwhelmed by news stories about the ruling.

About five hours after the court ruled, with news sites flooded with information about the health care ruling, the House voted 255-67 to declare Holder in criminal contempt.

A second vote of 258-95 held Holder in civil contempt and authorized the House to file a lawsuit.

In past cases, courts have been reluctant to settle disputes between the executive and legislative branches of government.

The issue became more complicated when Obama invoked a broad form of executive privilege, a legal doctrine designed to keep private certain communications of executive branch agencies.

Issa’s committee will consult with the House counsel’s office about a court challenge to the administration’s decision not to cooperate, spokesman Frederick Hill said.

The documents were written after Fast and Furious was shut down. The subpoena covered a 10-month period from February 2011, as the Justice Department expressed growing con-

cern that the Fast and Furious operation had employed a risky investigative tactic known as “gun-walking.” In early December 2011, the department finally acknowledged that the initial denial of gun-walking was in error.

Republicans said the contempt citations were necessary because Holder refused to hand over documents that could explain why the Obama administration took 10 months to acknowledge the gun-walking.

In Fast and Furious, ATF agents abandoned the agency’s usual practice of intercepting all weapons they believed to be illicitly purchased, often as soon as they were taken out of gun shops. Instead, the goal of the tactic known as “gun-walking” was to track such weapons to high-level arms traffickers, who had long eluded prosecution, and to dismantle their networks.

Gun-walking long has been barred

by Justice Department policy, but federal agents in Arizona experimented with it in at least two investigations during the George W. Bush administration before Operation Fast and Furious. These experiments came as the department was under widespread criticism that the old policy of arresting every suspected low-level “straw purchaser” was failing to stop tens of thousands of guns from reaching Mexico, more than 68,000 in the last five years. A straw purchaser conceals that he is buying guns for others.

Fast and Furious identified more than 2,000 weapons suspected of being illicitly purchased. But agents lost track of many of the guns. Some 1,400 of them have yet to be recovered.

INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) NO. 1719-A THE FABRICATION AND INSTALLATION OF WROUGHT IRON SECURITY DOORS AND WINDOWS BARS AT (4) FOUR HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS. The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) invites vendors to submit firm fixed price bids for the fabrication and installation of wrought iron security doors and windows bars at (4) four housing developments. Copies of the IFB may be downloaded from the internet at www.hacla.org under “Doing Business with HACLA”, then click on “Procurement Opportunities” and click “Construction Goods and Services”. Bids will be accepted by the General Services Department at 2600 Wilshire Boulevard, 4th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90057, until 2:00 P.M., Pacific Daylight Saving Time, August 3, 2012.

7/5, 7/12/12 CNS-2339848# WATTS TIMES REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP 7558)

The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles invites proposals from qualified community organization to provide recreation programs for youth at a public housing development. Copy of the RFP may be obtained beginning June 25, 2012 via www.hacla.org/ps or call 213-252-5405. Proposals will be accepted at 2600 Wilshire Blvd., 4th floor, Los Angeles, CA, 90057, until 2:00 P.M., (PST) July 27, 2012. ******************** REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP 7565) PHYSICAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles invites proposals from qualified firms to conduct a physical needs assessment and investment grade energy audit of its housing portfolio, including a 20year action plan to bring each of the sites up to HUD standards for modernization and energy conservation standards. Copies of the RFP may be obtained beginning June 25, 2012 online at www.hacla.org/ ps. Proposals will be accepted at 2600 Wilshire Blvd., 4th floor, Los Angeles, CA, 90057, until 2:00 P.M., (PST), July 27, 2012.

6/28, 7/5/12 CNS-2335645# WATTS TIMES

LAURYN HILL Continued from page 13 U.S. Magistrate Michael Shipp initially scheduled sentencing for early October but agreed to delay it until late November to give Hill time to make repayment.

Hill admitted she didn’t pay taxes on about $818,000 earned in 2005, $222,000 in 2006 and $761,000 in 2007.

The money was earned by four corporations she owned.

The 37-year-old South Orange resident got her start with The Fugees and began her solo career in 1998 with the critically acclaimed album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.”

She then largely disappeared from public view to raise her six children, five of whom she had with Rohan Marley, the

son of famed reggae singer Bob Marley.

After the charges were brought, Hill posted a long statement on her Tumblr page that decried pop culture’s “climate of hostility, false entitlement, manipulation, racial prejudice, sexism and ageism.” She explained that she hasn’t paid taxes since she withdrew from society to guarantee the safety and wellbeing of herself and her family.

Hill hinted Friday that she might expand on those comments at her sentencing. When Shipp asked her if anyone had directly or indirectly influenced her decision to plead guilty, she replied, “Indirectly, I’ve been advised my ability to speak out directly is for another time, at sentencing.”

16

Thursday, July 5, 2012

e v e n t LISTINGS

7 / 2012

L.A. Watts Times Calendar, Compiled by Brandon I. Brooks, Co-Managing Editor 7/6

7/7

First Time Homebuyers Workshop: Are you looking to buy your first home? Do you know someone who is thinking of buying their first home? Time is running out to pre-register for Homebuyers Express! WHEN: 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. or (Wednesday, July 11, 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.). WHERE: West Angeles Community Development Corporation - 6028 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90043. This is the required prerequisite course to the First Time Homebuyers Workshop. Attendees will review basic financial fitness strategies, such as understanding your FICO score, credit management tools, how to choose the right bank and financial institutions, and creating a sustainable savings plan. Don’t miss out!

Complete this month’s classes and be eligible to take the First Time Homebuyer's Workshop at the end of this month. No waiting until next month or later to get your certificate for City funding assistance toward buying your first home! Seating is limited. Register today ($65)! For more information, call: 323.751.3440 ext. 41. Or register online, here. www.westangelescdc.org.

Films at CAAM: Join Films at the California African American Museum (CAAM) as they explore the complexity of race in America, through the eyes of the ocean in the screening of

A.L.B.E. (Always Love Beyond Expectations) Productions Presents: Heal Thyself Alternative Health Workshop. Featuring live food chef, Keidi Awadu. Presentations by- Karen L. Moore, health & fitness specialist, author/spoken word artist Tymeka Coney with new book "Words Unspoken Volume I: Deeper Than Eyes Can See" Words we feel, Words that heal your mind, body and spirit. Author Lakia Brandenburg w/new book “Picture Perfect” about relationships. Hosted by LATalkLive.com’s “Destination Love”Margo Hudson. WHEN: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

WHERE: Piccolo’s Books (where all books are just $1.00) Howard Hughes Promenade (Formerly The Bridge) - 6080 Center Drive. #118 Los Angeles, CA 90045. For Event Info: Contact A.L.B.E. Productions - Barry Evans 310-714-6544 or Alina Estrada 562-313-1190 Tickets: $25.00 vendor/sponsor opportunities.

“ Move Your Belly” Dance Party: The Community Birth Center, a grassroots free-standing birth center, is sponsoring a “Move Your Belly” Dance Party. WHEN: 5 p.m. – 12 a.m. WHERE: 2422 W. Florence Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90043. The Party will include a raffle for a Cloth Diaper Service, the Earth Mama Angel Baby Gift Pack, and a Birth Service Package. An all-female DJ lineup will spin rare grooves, soul, funk, hip hop, salsa, Afro Cuban vibes and reggae. Food and photography services will also be available.

Admission: $10 at the door, $5 for pregnant women, and children and babies are free. For more info, please call (323) 541-9100 or email info@lacommunitybirth.com.

“White Wash”. Narrated by Ben Harper and scored by musical sensations, The Roots, the story examines the history of “Black consciousness”. As Black consciousness triumphed and evolved into the minds of Black surfers, this film explores the power of transcending race as a constructive phenomenon.

WHEN: 2 p.m. WHERE: CAAM is located at 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, Los Angeles, CA 90037. Parking is $10 per vehicle and available on 39th and Figueroa streets. This event is free and open to the public for more information visit www.caamuseum.org. RSVP (213) 744-2024.

7/11 Wednesday Night Jazz Cool Down: Americans’ love affair with jazz has survived and even thrived amidst a cacophony of musical extremes. The buttery voice of Sherry Williams is an oasis in any madness our world offers. When you listen to her, you realize immediately that she is a consummate artist, the real thing. Sherry is what they called in the old days a “storyteller,” who paints pictures with words. Her masterful interpretation of the lyrics makes an overworn song meaningful. In her new release, “You Must Believe in Spring,” Sherry brings a new song to life, saying, “At each performance my delivery is a little different, because I have experienced that additional kernel of life that changes everything — my point of view and my attitudes.” Sherry’s passion for well-crafted music and her superb vocal ability clearly place her in a category in which few artists have arrived. She emerges from the shadows of great ladies that have gone on before her, with the ability to make any song she sings unmistakably her own. WHEN: Sherry Williams will be performing at the Wednesday Night Jazz Cool Down, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. WHERE: 4223 Leimert Blvd. For more information, call 323296-6694.

Ongoing 7/6 – 7/13 Downtown Film Festival Los Angeles (DFFLA): Downtown Film Festival L.A. is an 8-day event taking place

July 6-13 encompassing film screenings, art exhibits, industry workshops and receptions held throughout venues in downtown L.A. The mission of DFFLA is to showcase emerging talent in the culturally diverse, historically significant core of the Film Capital of the World. The Opening Night Film presentation of “The Diary of Preston Plummer” will be followed immediately by the festival’s Opening Gala at Towne Food & Drink, the stunning new eatery on the ground floor of Watermarke Tower at the corner of 9th and Flower Streets, to open to the public the second week of July. Towne will offer guests a taste of the restaurant’s inventive, whimsical take on New American cuisine. Tickets for the Opening Night Film screening and Gala Party are on sale now. For the complete schedule of feature films, and to buy advance tickets, visit www.dffla.com.

Up Coming 7/16 Crenshaw Stakeholders: Dear Crenshaw stakeholders, You are invited to attend a

Community Meeting to learn about design changes that have taken place since the environmental document was completed for the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor.

WHEN: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. WHERE: Inglewood City Hall, Community Room – One Manchester Boulevard, Inglewood, CA 90301. Public comments will be taken and recorded during the community meeting. For additional information or questions regarding the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor Project, please contact: Metro Construction Relations at 213-922-2736, crenshawcorridor@metro.net or, visit the project website at www.metro.net/crenshaw.

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